Back in 2016 my husband and our neighbor somehow got to talking about paddle boarding. Neither of them had ever tried it. So, of course, our neighbor suggests “Let’s build one!” Logical, right?

He had always wanted to build a cedar strip canoe and thought this might be an easier introduction to boat building. I had been tinkering with woodworking for a while and my husband seemed to think this would be a great project for me. I thought he was crazy and brushed off the idea for several weeks thinking it would pass. Meanwhile, our neighbor orders a frame kit from ClearwoodPaddleboards.com and begins building. Now I start thinking “I might be able to do this.”

Seven years and 8 boards later, I have to say I’m a little obsessed. Now that I am retired from teaching kindergarten, I am free to pursue my passion full time and maybe even sell them. The building process continues to evolve so that they can be used comfortably standing, kneeling, or seated in a variety of weather conditions and distances. Two of the boards have been used on the MR340, a race on the Missouri River from Kansas City to St. Louis.

Our vacations now center around places to go paddling. We have taken our boards to Lake Tahoe, Pactola Reservoir, Yellowstone Lake, Lake Powell, the Colorado River, the Florida Keys, and Lake Okoboji. Weekends are usually spent at Table Rock or Fellows Lake and an occasional trip down the James or Finley River.

The boards have proven to be quite durable. Though we are careful with them, they have endured many scrapes with rocks, boat ramps, logs, and docks. Upkeep is minimal, which I think can be attributed to using a high-quality epoxy and marine varnish.

The weight of the boards varies between 30-40 lbs. Wind is almost always an obstacle when out on open water. Sitting or kneeling and using a long, single blade paddle is tiring. I didn't want to carry two paddles. Back in 2016 it wasn't easy to find a convertible paddle that could go from single blade SUP paddle to double blade kayak paddle. My SUP paddle had a quick release t-handle and I was able to find an extra blade to replace the handle to convert it to a double blade. It took less that 30 seconds to make the conversion. Now, conversion paddles are easy to find, as well as SUP seats. Having something to rest your back on is awesome in high winds and longer paddles.